Sunday, April 15, 2012

A review of "Tim and Eric's Billion Dollar Movie"

I've been a fan of "The Tim and Eric Awesome Show: Great Job!" for a few years now. Into a world of stale television comedies, Tim and Eric emerged as postmodern saviors. Their brand of low-brow, low-budget, self-conscious, surreal satire was like a breath of fresh air, and made me more excited about a TV show than I had been since I was a little kid. When I am having a bad day, I often watch Tim and Eric videos, and 10 times out of 10 they make me smile.

Tim and Eric's brand of humor is very polarizing. Either you love it, or you hate it. There are surprisingly few people I've met who are "on the fence" about Tim and Eric. I love Tim and Eric, and I love to make references to "Beaver Boys," "Spagett," "Absolut on Ice," "Cinco" products, and other Tim and Eric oddities to my Tim and Eric-loving friends. The Nerdy Thursday Variety Show that I host every week is deeply inspired by Tim and Eric.

Here's one reason why I love Tim and Eric. When I ordered a t-shirt from their web site, they sent me an autographed postcard FOR FREE.

Needless to say, I was extremely excited to see "Tim and Eric's Billion Dollar Movie." Before watching it, I read some reviews, most of which were negative. Here's a sampling of what the critics had to say about Tim and Eric's movie:

"It would be insulting to refer to "Tim & Eric's Billion Dollar Movie" as amateurish - insulting to amateurs everywhere."

--The New York Post

"Zombies would have been an improvement."

--East Bay Express

"The dead space where laughter should be is like lead."

--Common Sense Media

"There are some inspired sketches sprinkled throughout, but the experience is more creepy and off-putting than hilarious."

Here's what I thought of "Tim and Eric's Billion Dollar Movie"…I liked it. You know a movie is sincerely funny when you watch it alone and still find yourself laughing out loud. I was laughing out loud, by myself, in the first ten minutes of the movie.

Unlike the TV show, the movie does not deliver a laugh-a minute. Like the TV show, it revels in making the audience feel uncomfortable, like when Eric takes a diarrhea bath to access his "inner Shrim."

The best thing about "Tim and Eric's Billion Dollar Movie" is the satire. It makes fun of Hollywood, of consumer culture, of stale movie conventions, by taking these things to their absurd and disturbing conclusions. The ending of the movie is a perfect example of that. After Tim and Eric defeat and literally slay their enemies, a voiceover informs the audience that they both received the death sentence for multiple homicides.

If you are looking for a traditionally "good movie," don't expect that from "Tim and Eric's Billion Dollar Movie." If you are looking for a weird and surreal and sometimes hilarious "fuck you" to Hollywood, then "Tim and Eric's Billion Dollar Movie" should be right up your alley.